Enter the Demon
by DragonKingNatsu
Summary: They called him a demon. It wasn't far from the truth. After growing up an orphan and learning from a wandering mage how to control his cursed power, Naruto stumbles upon a certain Sky Dragon Slayer. He'll show everyone you don't have to be a mage to kick ass. Etherious Naruto. Powerful Naruto. Naruto x ?.
1. Chapter 1

Summary: They called him a demon. It wasn't far from the truth. After growing up an orphan and learning from a wandering mage how to control his cursed power, Naruto stumbles upon a certain Sky Dragon Slayer. He'll show everyone you don't have to be a mage to kick ass. Etherious Naruto. Naruto x ?.

AN: This idea totally slammed me in the face, and I was like "dude, this has to happen..." And happen it did.

Prologue

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Fiore x776

The sun over the town of Hargeon was shining brilliantly through the clouds, a pleasant change to the storms that ravaged the port town for the past couple days. Now that the skies had cleared, people were out on the streets, passing by markets filled with exotic spices and fresh fruit. As Fiore's main shipping and long distance travel hub, Hargeon was filled with all sorts of people, even mages. It wasn't unusual to see people, especially mages, with decidedly strange appearances. But, among all of them, there were those who were left behind by the crowd.

Such was the life of Naruto Uzumaki. Currently nine years old, he had lived in an orphanage all his life, stringently saving up money in the hopes of buying an apartment one day. Escaping that orphanage and joining a mage's guild was somewhat of a dream of his, especially when he heard they accepted all varieties of mages. Ever since he could talk, he knew just how different he was. The two short horns jutting from his forehead were a pretty good indicator. Still, something like that wasn't enough for him to have the reputation he had now. No, that came from his cursed magic that wasn't really magic at all.

That is why they called him a demon. Even if people didn't go out of their way to shun him and he accepted it himself, the moniker prevented him from living a normal childhood. Despite the horns, he looked rather normal. He had unruly, spiky blond hair that reached his deep blue eyes and three whisker marks on each cheek.

Right now, unlike all the other children who were playing out in the courtyard of the orphanage, Naruto was sitting in an alley reading an issue of Sorcerer's Weekly. "Man, Gildarts is so cool," he admired, eyes sparkling.

His stomach rumbled, interrupting his leisure time. 'I think I missed lunch again,' he moaned. The magazines were cool and all, but he couldn't stand to miss the orphanage's lunch no matter how much it sucked. He really wasn't looking forward to paying for food, considering he had basically no spending money. Not even enough for the delicious ramen stand.

He stood up from the ground, dusting off his ratty black pants and orange tee shirt. 'Alright, now to find a good food stand.' He checked the number of jewels in his pocket and sighed. 'A cheap food stand...'

After wandering around a bit, getting strange looks from a couple of the foreigners, he spotted a stand selling some delicious-smelling cooked fish. 'Jackpot!'

"You lookin' for somethin' kid?" The tall, round man with a rather large steak knife asked irritably.

Naruto looked at the prices and frowned. He could barely afford any of it! "Uhh, I'll take the salmon."

The man almost growled at him. "That'd be 1000 jewels buddy."

"1000!" Naruto exclaimed. "But it says here that-"

"Never mind that, boy," the burly man bit out, stabbing the wooden stall with his knife. "We're low on salmon today, so the price is higher."

Naruto sighed dejectedly. "But I can't afford anything." All his money was back at the orphanage, and he didn't want to pay too much for food.

"Then do some work on the docks. This is a business, brat, not a charity."

"They don't let me do work!" The boy yelled. A few people glanced over at the commotion.

The salesman rose to his full height, looming over the stall. "I suggest you leave. People'll get the wrong idea."

"And what idea would that be?" A voice returned.

Naruto whipped around to see a middle-aged man with spiky white hair that reached his waist tied in a ponytail with two bangs framing his face. He wore a red haori-style jacket over a dull green shirt and pants. By the sleeves and hem, mesh armor stuck out from under his clothes. He wore red wooden sandals, incredibly unusual by any means. Red markings ran down from each eye, and he sported a metal forehead protector that read 'oil'. To top it off, he had a giant scroll strapped to his back. Even by mage standards, this guy's style choice was strange.

The weird guy grinned madly. "Here's some cash for the kid's food," he said, tossing a bunch of bills towards the owner. Then he grabbed the piece of cooked salmon and handed it to Naruto. "Well, I've gotta go deal with some important stuff." He ruffled Naruto's hair. "Don't let people talk you down, kid." Without another word, the man started walking away.

"Wait!" The white-haired guy stopped, looking over his shoulder to see the young blond running after him. "Why did you help me?"

The man shrugged. "I heard about you kid, the so-called demon. Frankly, I really don't care who you are, it's bullshit to charge people extra for anything."

"You're dressed all funny," Naruto pointed out. "Are you a mage?"

"You haven't heard of me!?" He seemed comically shocked before striking a dramatic pose, palm facing Naruto. "I'm the legendary Toad Sage of Mount Myouboko, the amazingly good-looking Jiraiya!" The blond seemed confused at the introduction, considering he'd never heard of a 'Jiraya' before. "This generation's got no respect, What's your name kid?"

"Naruto Uzumaki!" He declared, pointing a finger at himself proudly. "And I'm gonna be an awesome mage."

"Naruto!" Jiraiya gasped, eyes bulging wide. "W-whaaaaatt!" He calmed down a little, placing his hands on his hips. "Sorry, that's just the name of the main character in the first book I wrote. Your parents must have good taste."

The blond frowned and looked down. "I never knew my parents. They left me at the orphanage the day I was born."

"Oh..." The sage wasn't entirely sure how to respond to that. "Hmmm, you know, I travel a lot. You ever been outside Hargeon?"

"Nope."

That prompted a smirk. "That's ironic. You wanna get out of here?"

Get out of here? He knew he had to eventually, but he hadn't expected anyone to ask something like that. "I guess so. How else could I find a cool guild?"

"Heh, well then kid. You're an interesting case, so I've got a good idea. I'm a wandering mage, and I know a thing or two about rare magic like yours. And this demon stuff I'm hearing around definitely has me curious." He placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "How about you become my apprentice?"

"Really? You'll teach me how to use magic?" Jiraiya nodded. "That sounds awesome!"

Jiraya gave him a thumbs up. "Alright then. Grab your stuff and meet me here this time tomorrow. It isn't often I chose a student, so count yourself lucky."

"I won't disappoint," Naruto promised. If he really was a demon, then he was going to be the toughest, strongest demon out there.

The whole world was ahead of him.

.

A figure with untamed blond hair sat on a rock trapped in the middle of a shallow creek, dangling his feet haphazardly into the water. He sighed, placing his hands behind his head and glancing up at the pristine sky. His cerulean eyes matched its color flawlessly today, and he knew it would be the perfect day to lay there and relax. It wasn't like he had anything else to do in the middle of Worth Woodsea, a large coniferous forest in the north of Fiore. He had traveled all over in his short 15 years, exploring a couple countries. Still, he couldn't escape the beauty of the region he was born in. Even though he grew up in a town, Fiore had its own natural wonders that never ceased to amaze.

He was wearing a dark jacket that went past his knees with white trim and designs. That was the only distinctly unique piece of clothing he owned, settling for a plain orange shirt and grey pants. It was a funky combo, but he always did have a thing for the color orange. There were far worse people out there when it came to choosing an outfit, namely his teacher. But the most noticeable feature of his wasn't clothing at all, it was his two horns on his forehead, signifying what he was.

Naruto had grown a lot since Jiraiya first took him in, allowing him to truly see the world and develop his curse ability. Of course, all good things must come to an end, and Jiyaiya had been called away on a mission from the magic council that Naruto didn't have the clearance to follow him on. Apparently, the Toad Sage, in addition to being a formidable mage, was also a stellar information gatherer. And a pervert, but that didn't help much with anything.

Leaves crunched in the distance. The blond swiveled his head, staring into the dense forest. Someone was there.

He stepped out from the river, his large jacket billowing behind him, and crossed his arms."Oi, what are ya sneaking around for?"

There was a surprised yelp and a loud swoosh of leaves followed by some quiet arguing. There was more shuffling, and the whispers started to grow in volume. Finally, someone emerged from the forest. A young girl? She had lengthy blue reaching her waist with two long bangs framing her face. She had a simple, wavy dress with alternating yellow and blue, and sported wing-like attachments to her ankles and wrists. "H-hello!" She greeted, a bit timid.

"What's a little girl like you doing here?" Naruto tilted his head as he looked into her dark blue eyes. "Haven't you heard about the demon?"

"Of course she has." A white cat-like being declared. The cat stood protectively in front of the girl, her pink eyes surprisingly fierce.

The girl nodded. "I'm the mage from Cait Shelter."

"Whaaat? Aren't you a little young?" He wondered why a guild would ever decide to send a ten-year-old to eliminate a reputedly powerful demon.

She was flustered at that. "I-I was raised by a dragon, and Master Roboul thinks I'm capable."

"A dragon, huh?" Naruto thought aloud, considering the idea. Jiraiya had told him about Dragon Slayers and dragons, so he knew it was an honor to be gifted power to by a dragon. "That sounds pretty cool. I was raised by a perv, so that'd be a step up for sure."

The girl giggled, surprisingly knowing what a perv was. "Oh!" She blushed furiously. "I forgot to introduce myself! I'm Wendy Marvell."

"And I'm Carla, her partner," the cat added.

"Pleased to meet you, I'm Naruto Uzumaki." He pondered if he should tell them that the one they were looking for was him.

Carla humphed, crossing her paws. "You're the demon, aren't you?"

'Man, the cat got it already? She's all no-nonsense and no fun either.' It wasn't like he was ever going to attack either of them, not when he just wanted a couple people to talk to. See, he kind of ruined his reputation around this area by showing off his true form. That probably explained the request to get rid of a demon. "Demon's kind of an offensive way of saying it, ya know. But yeah, that's me."

Wendy seemed unsure. "You don't seem that bad at all, so why would they want me to fight you?"

Naruto shrugged. "I'll admit, I played an epic prank on some campers. And the tourists." Wendy opened her mouth to reply, only to find that Naruto wasn't done talking. "And some people in the nearby towns. But it was all harmless, I swear!"

The cat stared at him, unimpressed. "I highly doubt people would deem it worthy to request a mage's guild to deal with pranks."

He rubbed the back of his head, sheepishly. "Alright, you caught me. There was a dark guild back in Maple Town that I took care of."

"A dark guild?" Wendy gaped. "You took out a dark guild all by yourself?"

Naruto pumped a fist, grinning. "Hell yeah. They weren't one of the tougher ones, so it wasn't a big deal." Both of them were gaping at him. "Oi, I've got a sense of justice too ya know! They didn't have any information on demons either..." He paused, thinking about it. He was on an eternal hunt to understand what he was. Currently, all he knew was that he was similar to the demons created by the dark mage Zeref, but that was hardly enough to sate his curiosity. "Say, you're part of a guild right? You've got that mark on your shoulder."

"Carla and I are members of Cait Shelter," Wendy confirmed proudly with a nod.

Naruto hummed. "Do you mind if I meet up with your Master, just to ask some questions? I mean, if I turn on you guys like a demon should, you'd have your whole guild there to protect you."

"I don't like this Wendy," Carla warned.

Wendy frowned at her. "Why not? If he wanted to attack us, wouldn't he have already?"

She hmphed. "I don't presume to understand how or why demons do anything, and neither should you." She relaxed her strict tone momentarily. "However, it is your call what we do Wendy."

"I promise I won't hurt you guys, and I never break my promises," Naruto interjected.

Wendy nodded. That was enough for her; she was ten. That and Roubaul was plenty strong to deal with any mage she'd met before. "Okay then, Naruto-san. I'll take you back to Master Roubaul."

.

AN: This chapter is short, even for a teaser. Then again, it is a prologue. What do you guys think? Want me to write this or not? Also, leave a review please! They're immensely helpful for inspiration.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Alright. So a ton of people asked me to continue this. I don't know how it's going to work, trying to do 3 stories at the same time, so bear with me.

Anyways, there were a couple people that were wondering what magic Naruto uses. He's an Etherious, and they use curses instead of magic. I believe the anime is on the Tartaros arc, so check it out.

Someone also mentioned a Naruto x Wendy. As much as I'd love to do that, I'd have to make Wendy older and I already wrote the first chapter. If I ever write another FT xover fic with Naruto, that'll definitely be considered.

Finally, shoutout to Mellra who I ran some ideas by for this fic. Please, someone adopt his challenge where Naruto gains the powers of Jackal. It would be an epic and original read. His stories are pretty rad too, so check em out.

Ch1: Heaven's Etherious

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"So, you're the demon Wendy-chan was sent to deal with, hmm?"

Roubaul was a short, rather old guild master. Aside from the enormous white beard and sideburns, the guild master had a headdress made of red and white feathers in a sort of tribal look. In all his travels with Jiraiya, Naruto had never seen anything of the sort. This guy was definitely one of the more unusual guild masters Naruto had met, and that wasn't to mention how strange the rest of the guild was. Though, guilds were often regarded as the epicenters of strange, and Cait Shelter was no exception.

The blond nodded. "Yeah, you could put it that way. When Wendy said she was from a guild, I got curious." He rubbed the back of his head, grinning sheepishly and showing his rather sharp teeth.

The guild master turned towards the blue-haired Sky Dragon Slayer. "Wendy-chan, wasn't the request due to an attack on a town?"

She pulled the flyer out of her pocket. "No, it doesn't say much, and Naruto-san claimed he didn't hurt anyone."

"The whole thing's kind of a misunderstanding," Naruto clarified. "I think people took it the wrong way when I cleared a dark guild out of Maple Town. Well, and there was the whole prank thing, but let's just forget about that."

The guild master stroked his large beard, humming. "So then, Wendy-chan brought you here to prove that you didn't need to have guilds chasing after you? I don't think I've met a demon this considerate towards humans before."

Suddenly, Naruto's eyes lit up. "You've met demons before?"

"Err, umm, I guess you could say that." Was there any reason to hide something like this? This guy was confusing already.

"What were they like?"

"Let's take care of the matter at hand first, shall we?" The old man redirected.

Naruto sighed, reluctant. "Alright, fine." But he wasn't going to walk out of there without pestering the guild master for information.

The guild master held up a finger, signaling them to wait, as he reached over and grabbed a large jug of something. He poured the liquid inside into a glass, and Naruto guessed it was alcohol of some kind. Then, the man grabbed the jug and started drinking. "Master!" Wendy exclaimed. "You already poured a glass."

"I know I did!" Roubaul shot back, liquid spurting from his mouth. "Sheesh!"

"Uhh," Naruto began, pointing at the man.

"Ignore him," Carla advised, groaning. "He's does this often, and no one's figured out why."

"Okay then," the guild master continued, his beard soaked. "So, Wendy-chan, what happened with this demon?" He took another swig from the jug.

Wendy frowned. "I was looking through the woods for the demon, but Naruto-san noticed me. We talked for a little, then he asked to come back here and see you. That way, if he was lying in anything you could take care of him without much problem."

"I also was kinda looking for a guild myself." Naruto put in.

"Oh," the master interjected, more liquid spewing out. "You want to join a guild?"

After staring at the old man for talking with his mouth full, Naruto shrugged. "I don't know yet. I spent most of my life travelling with an old hermit. Well, he's actually Jiraiya the Toad Sage, but he's definitely one of those weird old pervs. Anyway, I always dreamed to find a guild, ever since I was a kid. Going on jobs and helping people surrounded by a family of your own..." The opportunity was far too good to pass up. There was also the idea that Roubaul or another guild master could point him in the direction to find out more about demons, since he wasn't much closer to discovering who he was.

"That sounds like a fine dream," Roubaul considered. "Wendy-chan was lonely herself when she joined."

The blue-haired girl nodded. "I'm very glad I wound up here. Everyone's really nice."

"I've come to the conclusion that you aren't evil, though you must be powerful to destroy a dark guild." The man chugged the remaining glass. At least he wasn't going to pour one and let it go to waste. "Tell me, what type of magic do you use?"

"Heh, I use curse power, not magic," he declared proudly, pointing to himself with a thumb. "It's like a super cool, powered-up version."

"Really!?" Roubaul gasped.

"Yeah, mine is called Light Curse. I can do a ton of things with it beyond just creating light though." He held out his hand. "Fire!" A yellow flame burned to life, dancing in his palm. He balled his hand into a fist, dissipating the flame.

"What's it called?"

Wendy and Carla sighed, having dealt with this guy plenty of times to know something like this would happen. "He called it Light Curse, Master," Wendy supplied.

"And his name is?"

Naruto added his sigh to the bunch. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki!"

"Oh! Okay then, that's interesting. Ask what you want now, Naruto-san," Roubaul prompted.

The blonde's face grew serious. "What do you know about demons?"

"Demons?" He repeated. "Wouldn't you know more about them, being one yourself?"

Naruto was a little embarrassed, chuckling nervously. "I've never been able to learn much of anything about demons. I've heard about some, but they're not too much like me. I only found out about curses through my mentor."

The guild master hmmed. "You mean you don't know what you are."

"Well, no. I guess not. That's why I'm looking around for guilds, 'cause they always know useful stuff."

"You're an Etherious."

Naruto stared at him blankly. Wendy spoke quietly, "Etherious?"

The man nodded sagely, stroking his beard. "The Etherious are a subspecies of demons created by the dark mage Zeref four hundred years ago. I never learned much about them, but I've heard that they possess both a human-like form and an Etherious Form. And they use curses instead of magic."

"I'm an Etherious..." Naruto said to himself, testing the word. Well, it made just about as much sense as it could, and it was better than calling himself a demon. Jiraiya always said that his body was essentially made of pure Ethernano, so the name wasn't that far off. "How am I an Etherious? I'm only fifteen, but Zeref died a long time ago. And how do you know so much about this?" This was more than fishy. No one else even knew what a real demon was, much less what the name of the subspecies created by Zeref.

"I don't know how you could be one. It hardly seems possible. And don't ask how I know things! I just do!"

"That's not reassuring!" Naruto exclaimed. "How do I know you aren't just messing with me!?"

The question was left unanswered until the man let out an enormous sigh. "Wendy-chan, could you give us a moment?"

"O-okay Master," Wendy replied.

"Everyone else can go hide in the corner too!" All the random guild members who were entranced by the conversation scattered, following the Dragon Slayer outside. Roubaul fixed his gaze on Naruto, his features far more serious than before. The blond almost gulped at the sudden intensity. "Now that we're alone, there's something I need to tell you. I trust you for some reason. You're a very upfront youngster, and I respect that. See, I'm actually just the spirit of Roubaul left over from long long ago." He didn't even wait for Naruto's reaction before continuing, "I was alive during the time of those wars, same as Zeref. Everyone learned of the demons he created, the Etherious that formed the guild Tartaros. I haven't heard of them since... what're you staring at me for!"

"You just said you're a 400 year old spirit," Naruto justified, jaw dropped.

"And you're an Etherious not created by Zeref!" The man calmed down, finishing the rest of his drink. He wiped his beard as he swallowed. "You can't tell Wendy-chan any of this."

"Okay, but why are _you_ telling me this?"

Roubaul scratched his head. "I have no idea. I thought maybe, since she seemed to get along with you, that you might want to join our guild."

"For Wendy?" He shrugged. "I've been meaning to settle down, and this place is as good as any."

"Good. As an Etherious, I expect you to be able to protect Wendy and care for her as well. The only one she's had to talk to is her partner Carla, and having a friend would be great." Roubaul may have saved her from her loneliness, but Naruto had the potential to get her to open up and be more confident. He could also interact with her, ironically, in a far more human way than anyone else there.

"I was gonna do that anyway," Naruto smirked. "So, Master, where do I sign up?"

.

Naruto stared for a moment at the orange outline of the catlike guild mark on his right hand as he stood in front of a board covered in papers. Each paper was a request that various citizens sent to multiple mage guilds in the hope that someone would solve their problems, for a price. These requests were the primary source of income for guilds and members. Naruto was used to something similar from his time with Jiraiya, taking on odd jobs (often incredibly strange ones at that) to gain practical experience and earn his own cash.

"Are you looking for a job, Naruto-san?" The cute voice of Wendy prompted.

"Oh," he realized he had paused his search to admire the Cait Shelter mark. "Yeah, I was. And just call me Naruto, since we're guildmates now."

"I-I was wondering..." Wendy blushed. "Would you like to team up with me?"

"Sure!" Naruto replied easily. "What kind of magic do you use, though? You already saw my Light Curse."

She nodded, seeing how that would be an important part of being a team. "I use Sky Dragon Slayer magic."

"It's support style," Carla added, "and Wendy has only even been a solo member." It made sense why she was so eager to team up with him then. Not only was he new and kind of clueless, her magic was best used in large groups. Anyone with support magic knew it ruined their potential to always go solo.

"That's cool." Naruto faced back towards the board, overwhelmed by the choices. "Hmm, do you know what job to choose, then?"

Wendy shyly replied, "I choose jobs that help people. The one where I found you was the first time Master Roubaul wanted me to use offensive magic."

"Ehh!" Naruto exclaimed, surprised that Wendy's first job pitted her against him. "I don't want to go back to carrying things for people." He had enough of that when he was a kid. Being a part of a magic guild, though he didn't use magic, was all about overcoming obstacles and demonstrating power. That way, he could become a formidable S-rank mage and improve along the way. "We're a team now, so we can take on anything!"

'I wish I had that kind of confidence,' the Dragon Slayer thought, underselling herself again.

"Naruto-san is right," Carla supplied. "We can take on tougher jobs together."

Naruto paused at one of the flyers. Ah, that was a good one. Maybe it was a little ambitious as a first job, but he was an Etherious. Heh, he still couldn't get over that name. "How about the one with a wyvern, eh Wendy-chan? They're like weak dragons, so you should be fine! Plus, I'll be there too, so there's nothing to worry about.

"That sounds okay," Wendy nodded enthusiastically. She had no reason to be nervous, not with a team. She just hoped she would be useful.

"Yes," Carla agreed, "it's seems interesting."

As one of the many requests to 'slay a monster,' this job wouldn't be that far out of the ordinary. The white wyvern in question, though herbivorous, had grown enraged at a nearby town for picking its crop of unusual herbs. This way, Wendy would be able to keep the town safe and sound, while Naruto would get to pound something. It was a win-win.

"Then it's settled! We'll be Team Heavenly Awesomeness!" Naruto pumped a fist and struck a pose, grinning madly.

Carla scoffed. "That hardly sounds like it's from a respectable mage's guild."

Wendy sighed at her partner Exceed. "How about just Team Heaven?"

"Ehh," he shrugged. "I guess that works too."

.

The people of the nearby town that had requested their aid pointed them in the direction of a snowy mountain. That was where the townspeople had seen the white wyvern terrorizing their farmland and crushing a few houses. Honestly, Naruto thought the whole thing was far too hyped up, but he wasn't going to complain if it meant a serious fight. Wyverns' scales were also said to fetch quite a pretty penny to alchemists. That said, he was also eager to see how they worked as a team, a thought seconded by Carla. Wendy, however, had other things on her mind.

"N-no o-one said it w-would be this c-c-cold," the Dragon Slayer managed between shivers. Since Blizzardverns loved the cold, it was only fitting that they were all the up by the peak, where the snow was deep and the air was thin. Wendy was a fan of neither of those things.

"You want my coat? I mean, you'd have to give it back after, though."

"This d-doesn't bother you a-at all?" Wendy gasped.

Naruto shrugged. "I'm not human, so this is nothing. We demons, err Etherious, are built tough." He crossed his arms and grinned.

"Hmph," Carla replied. "It's all about mentality when it comes to things like the cold."

"Ehh, you don't seem too warm either, Carla," Naruto pointed out casually. The cat was quite good at hiding it, but Naruto could tell that a jacket wouldn't hurt. "Besides, don't you have fur?"

She turned away pointedly, prompting a sigh from the blond. Well, that's what he got for trying to argue with Wendy's very self-empowered and serious partner.

"C-coat!" Wendy reminded him.

"Oh! Right!" He pulled off his awesome black cloak with white designs and wrapped it around the young Dragon Slayer. It looked more like a dress than anything else, but she definitely looked warmer now.

"Ahh," she said, pulling it over her face. "It's much nicer now. Thanks Naruto-san." He didn't bother reminding her to call him Naruto. She'd figure it out eventually. "The air's getting thin up here," she noticed, taking a deep breath. The cold, sparse air sent chills down her body.

The Etherious nodded. "Blizzardverns like mountaintops, or so I've heard." Still, normally a predator like that would seek out intruders to defend its territory. "Maaan, I bet the town's just makin' stuff up. I don't see anything up here." If he didn't get that fight he'd been itching for, he was going to be in a sour mood for hours.

"I suspect that we have to look harder for this wyvern," Carla replied sensibly. "The chances of finding what are looking for in this particular spot aren't good to begin with."

"Uhh, does anyone else smell something funny?" Wendy asked, glancing around.

Naruto sniffed the air. While he senses were better than an average human's, it wasn't saying much. Carla was in a similar boat, and neither could detect a single thing with the crisp air. The blond shrugged. "Are you sure you're getting anything?"

"Yeah!" She affirmed confidently.

Carla decided to explain the reason to Naruto. "Dragon Slayers typically have sharp noses, and while Wendy might not be a bloodhound, she's far more skilled than any other mage." He smirked at the cat's confident proclamation.

Wendy stopped abruptly, facing to their right. "It's coming from over there, I think."

"Then what're we waiting for!" Naruto grinned madly, taking off. As he sped into the distance, he kicked up a ton of snow in his wake, splattering poor Wendy and Carla.

"C-cold!" The Dragon Slayer gasped, covered completely in snow.

Carla wasn't pleased either. "We'd better catch up before he does something stupid."

.

"Aww man," Naruto complained, dejected. "I thought you said it was here."

Wendy, who had warmed up a bit, looked around curiously. "I don't get it. I can still smell something around here."

Carla hummed thoughtfully. "Perhaps the thin air and snowy landscape are confusing your senses."

"So what, we came here for nothing? This sucks," Naruto groaned. He'd been excited to work as a member of Team Heaven, but it always seemed like the world wasn't too fond of his desires.

"Uh, guys," Wendy eeped quietly.

The blond didn't stop talking. "I'd be super awesome if there was some grand tournament of all the mages guilds, you know. That way, we wouldn't have to go take missions just to get some fighting in."

"Guys!?" Wendy exclaimed. The ground rumbled. As the blond faced away from her and Carla was busy scouring the area, no one else seemed to notice the shaking. Wendy looked down to the snow beneath her moving. She stumbled, falling down, but neither of the other two were aware of it.

Then, all the sudden, something broke through the snow, carrying her a couple feet into the air.

Naruto was still of on his tangent, wondering about all kinds of nonsense. "Fairy Tail fights things all the time! We should totally go hunt them down after this. What do ya say Wendy?" He didn't hear an answer. "Wendy?"

"Naaaaruuuto!" She yelped as the figure beneath the ground rose to full height, tossing her into the air.

The giant wyvern had been hidden under the snow the whole time! It had a distinctly dragon-like appearance, membranous wings with threatening talons attached to its arms and clawed hands. Its head, angular and predatory, sported black spikes running down each side which continued all the way to the end of its tail. Its beady eyes stared at them, showing its many sharp meat-rending teeth. And of course, making it barely visible against the landscape, it had predominantly white colored scales covering its body.

"Wendy!" Carla exclaimed, horrified. Two white wings appeared behind the small cat, propelling her into the air. She caught the young girl and carried her to the ground next to Naruto.

After making sure she was unharmed, Naruto turned his gaze to the Blizzardvern and smirked. "Hah! You thought you could hide from me?" He jabbed a finger at his chest proudly. "We're Team Heaven, and we're gonna take you down." The draconic beast replied with a roar. "Alright Wendy, let's show 'im what we've got!"

"Right," Wendy agreed with a quick nod, holding out her arms. "O swift wind that dashes through the heavens... Vernier!"

Naruto suddenly felt incredibly light, as if he could fly without entering his Etherious form. "Whoa," he muttered as magic enveloped him, allowing him to hover a couple inches above ground. "This is so cool Wendy," he praised with a grin. He turned his attention to the beast in the sky. "Come and get me, wyvern!"

As if it understood him, the dragon-like beast wasted no time in obliging him. It tucked its wings in and swooped down, sharp claws bared. For its size, it was surprisingly agile. The wyvern struck, slashing at the snow where Naruto was, sending the white stuff flying everywhere. Naruto, however, had wound up behind him, easily escaping with enhanced speed.

Wendy wasn't done, though, with her support magic. "O strength of arms to cleave the heavens... Arms!" Strength rushed through Naruto's veins and his power output increased dramatically.

He aimed a hand at the creature's back. 'I better heat that cold-blooded lizard up!' "White blaze," he said, a pure white fire striking the wyvern's back. The beast writhed as streams of fire singeing its scales an unappealing color of black. A faint smell of roasted wyvern wafted by Wendy, who all the sudden felt anxious about being involved in the creature's demise.

With a roar, the wyvern swiped one of its wings back at Naruto, the blond unprepared for the reaction. Just in time, he raised his arms up to reduce the impact of the wing smacking him. The beast was pretty damn strong, the contact sending Naruto crashing into the ground, snow exploding out. The blond stood, dusting the snow off his shirt as the wyvern took to the air again.

Dang, he hadn't expected to take a hit like that so quickly. He had forgotten that wyverns were actually tough opponents by normal mage standards. Nothing he'd need to break out his 'Etherious form' to fight, but still not something to be treated lightly. "You want me to get serious, winged lizard?" He held his hands in a diamond in front of him. "Light canon!"

A meter wide beam of brilliant yellow light shot towards the wyvern. The snow around him had actually melted from the heat generated by the energy-packed laser-like beam. The wyvern beat its wings.

"You've gotta be kidding me," Naruto whined. The stupid beast had reflected his attack somehow, and he was going to experience just how painful curse power is compared to magic power.

"Look out!" Wendy gasped as she saw the attack bounce back at her teammate. 'I can't do nothing... I don't want to let my friend get hurt.' Resolved to help Naruto, she called out, "Armor!"

The blond didn't have time to dodge, seeing how the attacks he used were extremely fast. His eyes widened as the light canon engulfed him, really hating the fact that he forgot everything about fighting wyverns. Seriously, how was he supposed to remember that they could deflect attacks, magic or otherwise, by changing the air currents! There was a huge BOOM! A large fireball encompassed the area around Naruto, the semicircle spreading outwards. The shockwave made Carla grab Wendy to avoid being blown away, while snow flew violently in all directions.

When it died down, there was a small crater. "Man, that could have hurt." At least Wendy was there to support him. His human form wasn't nearly as resilient as his other one, but he would have taken the hit without too much injury. Instead, he came out with a few scratches and a completely tattered tee shirt, the fabric barely still holding onto his body. Most of his densely muscled chest and back was showing. "Alright, time for the beat-down." He cracked his knuckles, breaking out in a massive grin. "Oi, Wendy-chan. Want to help out on offense?"

"S-sure," she replied timidly.

"Alright, all you've gotta do is distract it so I can get close."

Wendy nodded. 'I can do this!' She took a deep breath. "Sky Dragon's Roar!" She declared, unleashing a stream of magic half the size of their opponent. The wyvern prepared to beat its wings in response, about to send the roar right back at the petite slayer.

Right as it beat its wings forward, a fist crashed into its back. An inferno of bright yellow flames burst outwards from atop the wyvern. Naruto smirked as he sent the thing spiraling towards the ground. Wendy's magic struck the dragon as it fell, shooting it backwards a respectable distance. Naruto raised an eyebrow at the strength of the rather shy girl. 'Well, she did say she was raised by a dragon.' That was grounds for that kind of power at such a young age.

The wyvern skidded through the snow, sending some flying through the air. Naruto turned, still floating in the air. "Heh, nice hit. Now I'm gonna finish it." As much as he wanted to keep having fun, this was an opportune time to end the fight, while the wyvern was struggling back to its feet. He knew he wanted to see Wendy fight some more, and her Sky Dragon's Roar had really impressed him, but there would always be more time for that. No reason to make their first job as a team harder than it had to be.

With that said, he placed his hands together as if in prayer and closed his eyes in focus. Everything grew calm, the younger two members of team Heaven now silent as they waited.

'What is this enormous energy?' Carla wondered, wide-eyed. Naruto seemed to practically be glowing with a vibrant gold aura, small flames licking his body.

He opened his hands, both palms facing the downed wyvern. His eyes snapped open, a threatening gold in place of the typical blue. "The deadly and illuminating light of the sun: Solar Flare."

In a second, it was over. An immense explosion of both fire and light started from the wvyern's center and radiated outwards. Wendy and Carla both had to shield their eyes from the intense light that kept building until it was as awful as staring directly at the sun. Once it reached such an incredible intensity, it burst again. This second wave went straight upwards, like a pillar of destruction, incinerating everything in a thirty meter radius. Thankfully, Wendy and Carla were far enough away to be completely unharmed.

The pillar's diameter shrunk until it had disappeared entirely, leaving the world seeming far darker than before. Naruto wiped some sweat from his forehead and he landed on the ground, having used up a fair amount of energy in the last attack. At the center was a burnt wyvern, roasted well enough for a barbecue. His stomach rumbled at the thought. 'Oh man, that sounds like an awesome idea!' Hehe, what better way to end a fight than with a nice big meal?

"That was... unbelievable," Carla managed to say, shocked.

Wendy smiled. "You're really amazing, Naruto-san."

"Hey, you helped too," Naruto protested immediately. "If you didn't land that hit on him and distract him like that, I doubt he'd have laid still enough for me to use Solar Flare like that."

"I-I guess so," she agreed halfheartedly.

Naruto frowned. "You know what, this deserves celebration. The first win by Team Heaven! What say we cook up some wyvern meat? I've got no clue what it tastes like, but anything that tough to kill'd totally be worth it."

"That sounds fun."

"We have to tell the townspeople we finished first," Carla insisted. "It's impolite to celebrate prematurely without the client knowing whether the job was completed."

The Dragon Slayer paused to think. "That's true."

Naruto sighed, his stomach rumbling. Sure, he didn't have to eat as a demon, but it something he enjoyed. "Yeah yeah yeah." He waved off, putting on an immature face. "Stupid responsibilities." The bluenette giggled. "If we're goin' back to town though, we're stopping for some ramen."

"Ramen?" Wendy replied, confused.

Carla was equally puzzled. "I've never heard of that before."

The blonde's jaw hit the floor. "Y-you never heard of ramen before..." He gazed downwards, sullen, as if he was going to cry. Then, his eyes snapped up and he gave them a determined grin and a thumbs up. "No worries, I'm what they call the all-knowing, one-of-a-kind, super-epic prophet of all things ramen... the Ramen King! I'll teach you everything there is to know about that godly food."

Carla and Wendy both face-faulted when the realized he was talking about a food. 'He's way too extreme!'

Naruto grabbed the wyvern and started to tow it behind him as they left. "Go Team Heaven!" Naruto cheered, pumping a fist at their accomplishment.

"Good job you two," Carla complimented.

Wendy smiled. 'I'm so glad I met Naruto-san today. Is this what Grandeeney meant about finding others who care for you like family?' She knew that she would not regret forming a team with Naruto, even if he was technically a demon.

With that, they all left the frigid mountain, the blond dragging the enormous Blizzardvern behind him.

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AN: Yep, this is departure from my rather slow buildup style I used in Son of the Dragon King, so I hope you guys like this. Thankfully, this chapter wasn't as short as last one. Please leave a review! This story was at the bottom of the 'which story should I focus on' poll, so I'm gonna need some inspiration...


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